THESE amazing pictures show the moment Swaziland’s former Justice Minister Ndumiso Mamba was caught by state security agents holed up in a hotel room with King Mswati III’s 12th wife, Queen Nothando Dube.

Mamba appeared to have sensed approaching danger before dozens of security agents stormed the Royal Villas, a luxury hotel owned by the polygamous 42-year-old King about 10km west of his Lozitha Palace.

In a desperate attempt to make himself disappear, Mamba – wearing a brown suit -- burrowed into the base of a bed and slid in.

The red-faced childhood friend of the King was ordered out, head first, by the security agents who are believed to have been investigating his sex trysts with the 12th of the King’s 14 wives.

Mamba was immediately arrested and faces the odd-sounding charge of “trespassing into another man’s home”. He is expected to be finally exiled from Swaziland.

It has been claimed that Dube wore an elaborate disguise so she could enjoy clandestine meetings with Mamba, who is married. The queen is said to have dressed in military fatigues to leave the royal palace without arousing suspicion.

A palace source was quoted by the South African Press Association as saying: "For many months, the inkhosikati [queen] would dress in an army uniform whenever the king was not around.

"She allegedly got into her room and changed into her uniform and walked straight to the gate and no one bothered to ask where was this soldier going. In no time a car was there to pick the ‘officer’ up and whisked her to Royal Villas.”

But the risky liaison soon attracted the attention of Mswati’s agents who made their move while he was out of the country in Taiwan.

Caught napping ... Mamba is ordered out of his not-so-clever hide-out

The affair has caused huge embarrassment to Africa's last absolute monarchy after failed attempts to prevent it leaking into the public domain.

Swazi newspapers are tightly censored and the Times of Swaziland reported only: "Mamba resigned following certain allegations circulating in the country and internationally.”

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The story has however been seized on by the media in neighbouring South Africa.